Shelar pushes for koliwadas to be demarcated, entered in DCPR

Government officials directed to enter koliwadas whose boundaries have been demarcated into Mumbai’s Development Control and Promotion Regulations 2034, (DCPR)

MUMBAI: With municipal elections looming, the state government is hoping to fulfil a long-standing demand of the Koli community, one that will safeguard their cultural identity and reaffirm their place in Mumbai’s social fabric.

The demarcation would clarify their position in the redevelopment landscape, protecting their settlements from being labelled slums and targeted by builders. (Hindustan Times)

On Friday, Ashish Shelar, guardian minister for Mumbai suburban district, directed government officials to enter koliwadas whose boundaries have been demarcated into Mumbai’s Development Control and Promotion Regulations 2034, (DCPR). He said this must be done within 60 days.

The Kolis, Mumbai’s aboriginal fishing community, have been demanding that the boundaries of their koliwadas, or traditional fishing settlements, be formally marked and entered into official records. This would clarify their position in the redevelopment landscape, protecting their settlements from being labelled slums and targeted by builders. The threat is particularly real as the koliwadas, being coastal settlements, occupy some of Mumbai’s most coveted real estate.

At Friday’s meeting, Shelar reviewed the status of the koliwadas’ boundary demarcation. Mumbai suburban district collector Saurabh Katiyar said that of the 29 koliwadas in the Mumbai suburban district, the boundaries of 23 have been marked. The demarcation of six koliwadas is pending, as parts of them fall under tribal hamlets, and the issue needs to be sorted out. During the demarcation exercise, three new koliwadas were identified, Katiyar said.

Chaudhary pointed out that although the demarcation is largely complete, the lack of DP entries is creating difficulties for Koli residents, even for home repairs. Shetty said Shelar would be visiting Borivali on Saturday and meeting local civic staff to sort out issues relating to the demarcation.

“In some cases, where the demarcation is yet to be done, Kolis are being asked to furnish proof of residence up to 1962 to get themselves demarcated as koliwadas, for repairs and redevelopment,’’ added Chaudhary.

Devendra Tandel, a Koli leader who heads the Akhil Maharashtra Machimar Kruti Samiti said, “Most Kolis have their homes registered in their names but the land is not theirs. Our livelihood has diminished over time, and we have realised the value of our land,” he asserted.

He said the koliwadas are situated on land owned by various government agencies, such as the state revenue department, MbPA, BMC and Indian Navy, due to which land ownership is a huge challenge.

“Shelar is right when he says land has to be demarcated. We are categorised as slums and legally we can’t go beyond 14 feet. Our lands are covered by CRZ and now we want the land to be in our names. We also want our homes to be constructed upto a height of 33 feet, which is allowed elsewhere in the state as per the CRZ notification but not in Mumbai,” said Tandel.